Jordan Wright
October 6, 2015
Special to DC Metro Theater Arts
The Hay Adams Teleports a Transylvanian Experience for the Ultimate in Halloween Luxury and A Kids Cultural Extravaganza Comes to Town
Hay Adams Hotel – Washington, DC
Swap your crypt for the ultimate in All Hallows Eve luxury with a night or two at the Hay Adams, which transforms itself, and its staff, for the spook fest. This year “The Transylvania Suite” awaits those who like their haunting to be in the posh category. Designer Barbara Hamilton of the Ociana Group will fiendishly decorate the swank suite, complete with all the trappings of a gentrified haunted house.
Those brave enough to take the plunge will be treated to a spirited welcome amenity from Pastry Chef Josh Short, tricked out with blood-curdling cocktails and delivered to the Halloween lair where a frighteningly outfitted butler will escort you to the skull-adorned suite. There you’ll find a gift collection of old and new horror film DVDs, along with more eye-popping surprises.
A three-course dinner paired with wines and a spidery-inspired dessert served in the suite’s dining room, awaits. Before retiring to your canopy bed embellished with cobwebs, a diabolically concocted turn-down surprise will be on your embroidered custom-designed Italian linen pillows. The following morning awake to a lavish breakfast in bed highlighted by a spicy “Bloody Scary” to complete the morning feast.
This luxurious suite overlooks Lafayette Park and the White House, setting the stage for a wickedly decadent evening. For those addicted to this spooky holiday, The Hay-Adams Halloween package affords a unique chance to enjoy the legendary elegance of this historic hotel while experiencing a number of creative twists all evening. This Halloween experience is priced at $2,995 per night (excluding tax and gratuity). The suite is available Friday, October 30th and Saturday, the 31st. For reservations and more information call 202 638.6600 or visit their website at www.hayadams.com.
Kids Euro Festival Comes to Metro DC
KEF Production Art
Over two dozen embassies will be participating in the Kids Euro Festival in the DC Metro area between October 24th and November 8th. And more than 125 events are free! All these family-friendly European-themed cultural events feature professional performance artists at school performances and in partner venues, film screenings, and library activities, as well as artist workshops, performances for hospitalized children. There will be a full day of activities for children with special needs, and professional development opportunities for teachers. This unique collaboration between the European Union and the United States hopes to transform the capital region into an action-packed cultural adventure for young people, their families, and their teachers.
Calling it “A Trip to Europe Without a Passport” this exciting festival, now in its 8th year, is the largest children’s performing arts festival of its kind in America. Designed for children ages two through twelve and their families, Kids Euro Festival unites the 28 embassies of the European Union (EU) and more than 20 local and national cultural institutions.
“The festival continues to offer children and their families a unique opportunity to experience some of Europe’s best performers right here in Washington, D.C.,” said David O’Sullivan, Ambassador of the European Union to the United States. “As a joint cultural diplomacy initiative of the European Union embassies in the nation’s capital, it is also a wonderful celebration of European cultural diversity. It is my hope that every child and parent that participates in this Festival will have a lasting fond memory of their European cultural experience.”
Susan Carmel Lehrman, the Vice-President of the European-American Cultural Foundation (E-ACF), said, “Culture is a powerful force for bringing together people, families, and nations. As the organizer of Kids Euro Festival, the E-ACF knows that the arts are more than just entertainment — they are a way to share cultures, create understanding, and unite people from around the world.”
Expect to see theater, puppets, music, magic, dance, films, stories, and more to stimulate creative imaginations and invite artistic exploration.
Participating in Kids Euro Festival are the Embassies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.
Partners and venues include the American Film Institute; Alliance Française DC; Capital Fringe; Children’s Inn at NIH; DC Arts & Humanities Education Collaborative; DC Public Library System; District of Columbia Public Schools; Dupont Festival; GALA Hispanic Theatre; Harmony Hall/Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission; Hill Center at the Old Naval Hospital; Hillwood Estate Museum & Gardens; Imagination Stage; KEEN Greater DC; John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; KID Museum at Davis Library; Library of Congress; Montgomery College Cultural Arts Center; National Gallery of Art; Prince George’s County Center for Visual and Performing Arts; Shakespeare Theatre Company; Sitar Arts Center; Strathmore; and Washington Performing Arts.
Kids Euro Festival is made possible by the generous support of Susan Carmel Lehrman, TV5 USA, Dr. Gregory A. and JaLynn Prince/Madison House Autism Foundation, Holiday Inn Georgetown, and Washington Parent Magazine, and the assistance of the European-American Cultural Foundation (E-ACF) in cooperation with the Delegation of the European Union to the United States.
While all of the performances are free, some require reservations, which can be made at the Kids Euro Festival website: www.kidseurofestival.org.